Category: Biotech

Biocell Center inks stem cell deal with Caritas Christi hospitals

March 8, 2010 by MassDevice staff

Biocell Center Corp. and Caritas Christi Health Care inked a deal to start a cryopreservation service for amniotic fluid stem cells.

The Italian biotech firm, which has its U.S. headquarters in Medford, Mass., and New England's largest community hospital network will use Biocell's method of preserving stem cells obtained during routine second-trimester amniocentesis procedures. The mesenchymal stem cells can be stored for decades and are believed to hold the key to treating or even eventually curing a raft of diseases. Parents can opt to preserve the cells for use in the event of future illness for themselves or their children.

Merck to buy Millipore for $6 billion plus debt

February 28, 2010 by MassDevice staff

German pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck KGaA (NYSE:MRK) trumped other would-be suitors and struck a deal to acquire Millipore Corp. (NYSE:MIL) for $6 billion in cash plus about $890 million in Millipore debt.

The acquisition was announced early Sunday night by the two companies. At $107 a share, the deal marks just over a 50 percent premium from Millipore's stock price a week ago, when word leaked that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) was preparing a bid for Millipore.

Miromatrix licenses stem cell technology, starts down fundraising trail

February 17, 2010 by MedCity News

By Thomas Lee

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Let the fundraising begin!

Miromatrix Inc., a start-up trying to commercialize the regenerative tissue research of Doris Taylor, has reached an agreement to license the technology from the University of Minnesota, a move that allows the company to formally raise seed money.

Semprus taps new development VPs

February 16, 2010 by MassDevice staff

Semprus BioSciences Corp. tapped a pair of executives to lead its business and product development operations.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based firm is developing a "dual-functional" vascular access catheter using its Semprus Surfaces covalent chemical bonding technique, "a permanent, non-leaching biomaterial modification to the device surface" according to the company's website.

Semprus said it named Donald Anderson as its vice president of business development and Laurence Roth as VP of product development.

BioSphere's Q4 sales spike 15 percent on liver cancer treatment

February 10, 2010 by MassDevice staff

BioSphere Medical Inc. (NSDQ:BSMD) managed to cut its losses in half during 2009, ending the year with a 7 percent sales increase.

The Rockland, Mass.-based microsphere maker reported a net loss of $293,000 on $8.4 million in sales during the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, compared to a $1.7 million loss on $7.2 million in sales for the same period in 2008.

RTI Biologics swings to Q4 black

February 9, 2010 by MassDevice staff

RTI Biologics Inc. (NSDQ:RTIX) posted fourth-quarter sales of $42 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, up 12 percent compared with $37.4 million during the same period in 2008. Net income was $1.5 million, compared with a net loss of $102.5 million during Q4 2008:

Press Release

RTI Announces 2009 Year End, Fourth Quarter Results, Estimates 2010 Revenues And EPS

CytoSolv lands $500,000 in seed money

February 9, 2010 by MassDevice staff

Rhode Island's state-backed venture arm, the Slater Technology Fund, is investing $500,000 in Providence-based CytoSolv Inc., which is developing a treatment for diabetic ulcers and other wounds.

The company's technology is based on wound-healing factors derived from choroid plexus, part of the blood/brain barrier that secretes proteins involved in healing into the cerebrospinal fluid.